Linings: Facts on Fabric for Lining a Suit, Coat & Jacket

Are you looking for a suit for an important event? Is it an outfit for a wedding retinue? Perhaps the jacket is something to keep you cool or warm? Whatever the reason, ensure to take the fabric linings into account.

maake gives you the lowdown on everything you need to know about lining a garment and the fabric you should use for lining the item.

Which Material to use?

The lining is the second layer of material in a finished item of clothing, whether a jacket or other item. One usually stitches this lining material to the outer layer. We use lining to line all sorts of garments: a coat, jackets, blazers, shirts, and dresses. maake creates linings using material either made from natural (cotton or satin) or synthetic fibres.

Material used for lining can be lightweight or heavier, depending on the season. Colours for material used for lining an item of clothing vary, too – from bright and solid to grey and white.

The most commonly used materials for lining garments include Recycled Polyester (rPET), viscose and rayon. Natural materials like cotton and satin are also popular for linings.

Why Lining is Important

• Blazers and other outerwear pieces for men and women are easier to slip on and off with a lining. 
• Jackets with linings are more wearable and durable.
• When it has a lining the item of clothing lasts longer. This is why manufacturers often line a small area, even if the rest of the item has no lining. 
• With a second layer or a lining, an item of clothing will be more comfortable.
• An article with linings can hide wadding or padding that will give body to your item of clothing.
• One can give an article more weight by adding a lining to give it a particular structure. 
• Choose a heavyweight material to line an article and make it warm. Natural fabric like cotton and synthetic fabrics like rPET are warm.
• An article with two layers can keep you cool as well. To keep an item of clothing cool to wear we usually don’t fully line it when sewing – this allows both layers of material to breathe and keeps you cool.
• The material used to line can create a better fit for clothing.
• If a material is transparent, using a second material underneath as lining will stop it from being transparent.
• Usually, the fabric used to line clothing is smooth and feels luxurious.
• When you line an item of clothing, you hide every seam, the construction and raw edges.
• When choosing a lining, take special care as the textile you use can create a vast difference to the structure of the clothing, its comfort, and durability, not to mention its style.

• Note:

  It’s important to see whether your choice of material for lining stretches. If you use cotton or wool when sewing the material the clothing won't stretch. In this case, ensure you line it with fabric that doesn't stretch either. If you make the clothes with a stretchy lining material like jersey, tulle, or stretch satin you must ensure that the fabric you use to line it also stretches.

  To Line a Coat or not?

With Linings

• An item with full lining: The item is lined on each sleeve and the back and side sections.
• The item has half lining: This implies that most of the piece has lining fabric, except for the bottom edges. Linings like these will protect the item but won’t create as much weight as when an item has a full lining. These often cost more than when manufacturers line the items completely, as the manufacturer has to ensure that no seams are showing.
• An article that you line partly:In such a case, we only line part of the item such as the shoulder and each sleeve. 

The Difference Between Lining a Garment and When you Don't

When you Line an Item

• • When you line a jacket, for example, it involves sewing a second, extra layer. The lining protects the item and gives it more weight and structure.
  • As the fabric you use to line the item is a separate piece, you can replace it by sewing another, altering it, or fixing it.
  • Sewing an extra layer for lining makes the item stronger and more hard-wearing.
  • The second layer of lining will make the item warmer.
  • By sewing a second layer, you’re adding protection to the inside of the item.
  • Linings also create a better-fitting piece of clothing.
  • The style and structure of the item will change with the extra weight of a second material.
  • Above all, an article requiring sewing a lining fits better than one that doesn’t have a lining.
  • Clothing won’t crease as easily if it’s has lining.

When the Garment is Unlined 

• If you do not line a garment, it doesn’t have a second layer. So, it will be cooler, which makes it a great choice for warm days. This is an excellent idea for cotton jackets, for example.
• If you’re sewing no inside lining, the item is lighter.
• A linen piece without lining is a definite plus in summer, as it's so much cooler – and requires less sewing on a machine!
• The piece's fit is more casual and comfortable with no lining.

The Best Material for a Lined Jacket or Coat

The most popular materials used to line clothing include silk and acetate, rPET, and rayon. People choose this type of material for different reasons: some materials used as a second layer may cause the piece to drape better, whereas others are more breathable etc. Also consider price when you choose fabric, as each of the materials available is differently priced.

Natural Material

1. Silk

This textile is considered the most luxurious because it is soft, breathable, durable, and lightweight. This elegant material is also smooth. It can be sheer or semi-sheer, transparent, matte, or shiny, depending on how much it weighs. We usually use this textile to line winter wear. As they’re expensive and sumptuous, it’s important to take good care of winter garments.

2. Cotton

Cotton is a breathable natural fibre that is washable and soft on the skin. Cotton isn’t a slippery or static material, it creases quickly and can shrink after washing when you hang it out in the sun. Cotton is relatively inexpensive, too.

3. Wool

Best for winter items when the weather is cold. Wool is warm, soft, breathable, and insulates the body. Choose a material that doesn’t scratch and be careful when washing it. People often dry clean this material.

Synthetic or Semi-Synthetic Material

1. Polyester

This is another great lining material choice for those looking for low-cost fabric. It’s also hard wearing and easy to look after. Also, people often use this textile to line jackets, as it doesn’t stain or crease easily. It’s soft, glossy and strong and doesn’t stretch or shrink. The material has a lovely lustre, too.

2. Viscose & Rayon

Viscose and rayon are popular for the lining. Viscose and rayon fabrics are breathable, soft on the skin, drape well, and are free of static. Note: viscose and rayon tend to shrink after washing and crease

3. Acetate

This material is not as shiny as rPET and is a synthetic alternative. It doesn’t crease easily and draws moisture away from the body. Acetate is also a breathable material per metre and relatively inexpensive. However, the material isn’t as absorbent as other materials used to line garments and is not as hard-wearing.

4. Cupro

This man-made material looks and feels silky. Manufacturers produce cupro from recycled plant-based cellulose fibres that they create out of cotton waste that has been specially treated with chemicals. 

It is similar to rayon, semi-synthetic, silky, smooth, and drapes beautifully. This versatile material is breathable, hard-wearing, and resistant to static. Often used for woollen garments, this lightweight textile is suitable for year-round wear.

Remember:

When choosing or replacing the lining, think about how stretchable the item is. You need to use a material that stretches with your shell material. So if someone makes your article from stretch material, the lining must also be stretchy. And if you create an item of clothing using a non-stretch textile, you can use a non-stretch lining, too.

Choosing a Textile by Weight

• Lightweight: A light material is great for blouses, dresses, skirts, and pants created from delicate fabrics.
• Medium weight: Slightly heavier material that is extremely versatile. Fabrics in this category include rPET, taffeta, silk, etc. These textiles are ideal for linings for pants, jackets, and skirts.
• Heavyweight: Fabrics with a denser weave are heavier, more hard-wearing, and warm, making them ideal for winter garments. These heavy materials include twill, acetate, rPET, silk, and satin. Fleece and quilt fabrics are excellent for lining garments, providing extra warmth in cold climates. 

maake’s Textile Directory

Lining: This 100% polyester material is perfect for lining clothes and accessories with any of our fabrics. This material has a fantastic print, smoothness, and durability. We use lining to line a number of our Saville Row tailor customers.

Faux Silky Satin: 100% poly material that is the ideal alternative to natural silk. Offers a silkier choice of fabric for a garment.

Eco Taffeta:  An Eco Lining option, this material is 100% rPET. It’s a crisp, lightweight material. 

Summer Voile – A lightweight, semi-sheer textile with a soft handle. As its name tells you, it’s ideal fabric to line summer clothes.

Eco Fleece: This semi-synthetic material – rPET – is a great choice for winter linings. It’s a warm, comfortable, versatile textile, ideal for lining winter jackets.

Printing on Synthetics Like Satin & Recycled Polyester

We use no water in our printing process for these materials. All the inks that we use meet Oeko-tex requirements and pass EN71-3 certification.

Read all about Textile Certification right here.

Choosing Textile Colours

Important tips to consider when choosing colours for linings:

1. Ensure that whatever colour linings you choose will complement the item of clothing and not overpower it. Your goal should be to create a cohesive garment.
2. If you prefer an elegant, formal item, it’s important to match the colour of the lining material to the item itself.
3. If the fabric is dark, say black or greyish black, match the material exactly for linings or choose a slightly lighter shade to line it with.
4. A lightly coloured item of clothing can either have an exact colour match for lining material, or you could see that the fabric you use for linings complements the garment’s colour by using a darker shade.
5. When you choose a colour for sewing your blazer or coat lining it’s best to look at the material in natural light to see the shade and brightness.
6. Bespoke material is used to line garments and is usually chosen to consider the wearer’s skin colour.

For inspiration on colour choices, read our informative guide on How Colours Affect our Feelings.

Trends to Consider

• Inner linings are usually colour-coordinated with or without a sewing pattern to the clothing material. But if you choose your colour or pattern choices, remember: this will make the item more casual. Remember – black is a more formal colour to use.
• In the UK, a classic colour combination for blazers is a black item of clothing with purple lining.
• A light grey item of clothing looks good with blue lining, especially for spring. For winter, change to a darker shade.
• Any blazer that you see with red lining makes an extremely bold statement.
• A collection of colour and pattern combined into stripes for linings is particularly fashionable right now.
• Custom linings are a trend in winter, so shop for or create a bespoke lining to stand out from the crowd and show the world that it’s uniquely yours.

Be Creative

Upload Your Unique Design and include your textile choice on your list.

Order a Sample Book to give you an idea of what every single textile we use looks like when they are printed on. Shop now!